American colleges and universities are facing a civic imperative. The nation is floundering, if not unwinding. Democracies are vulnerable social constructions. They flourish in eras of social consensus and economic prosperity, when citizens believe in the prospect of brighter futures. They stumble, if not decay, during times of harsh economic…

Policymakers in small and midsize communities (populations under 200,000) throughout the Rust Belt are searching for ways to reinvent their region to be competitive in the global, knowledge-based economy. Universities can play an increasingly important role in a region's economic development approach if they can effectively engage with their…

The Paris and San Bernardino attacks in autumn 2015, along with various retaliatory incidents, and Donald Trump's suggestion that Muslims should be banned from entering the US, have reminded us again of the deep misunderstandings and resentments that often exist between the Muslim and Western worlds. In order to improve intercultural and…

Given the tormented history of development projects around the globe and the fact that global service learning and engineering-for-development often engages students in development interventions, it is critically important to explore the impact of global service learning projects and partnerships not only on student learning, which has received…

A partnership of Penn State University's Gerontology Center, the state department on aging, and the Rural Caucus of Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging Directors is described in terms of a five-step process: building collaborative relationships, developing a research proposal, discussing results, formulating principles and…

Conference papers on community development problems and prospects deal with needs, methods, objectives, resources, and the role of universities, with particular reference to urban areas. Concerns include deficiencies in knowledge, leadership, government, and the quality of urban life; land use and urban design; principles of economic development…

Three universities are fostering leaders committed to (1) defining models of scholarship, (2) building a network of leaders that can learn from each other, and (3) creating an outreach culture. This three-way university partnership has established an annual conference and an online learning community to support a network of leaders. How have the…

This book identifies factors, structures, and procedures contributing to effective statewide coordination and governance of public colleges and universities. The heart of the book consists of descriptions of representative structures in 4 states, where interviews were conducted with 114 individuals--legislators, gubernatorial staff, system heads,…